Friday, January 27, 2012
News / Gravy Train Gravy Train: More Morelli's, Brooklyn-ized bagels
Posted by Laura Horton on Fri, Jan 27, 2012 at 11:46 AM
- James Camp
- Saturday lunch coming to Holeman and Finch
Kirkwood Bar and Grill has been a controversial business for a while now. Local residents have been fighting to shut the bar down, citing safety concerns and code violations. Bar owners countered the claims and accused the Kirkwood community of racial prejudice. East Atlanta Patch was first to report that Mayor Kasim Reed has denied the bar’s liquor license, after months of deliberation from various local boards. A drive-by on Thursday night revealed the restaurant is still up and running.
Bagel purists, rejoice! Tomorrow’s News Today reports that Brooklyn Water Bagel Company is coming to Atlanta! The Florida-based bagel shop promises that their special water treatment system transforms plain old water into magical New York-ified water that will make your bagels extra authentic. The first Atlanta-area location will be on Akers Mill Road, off Cobb Parkway.
Fig Jam Kitchen and Bar opened this week on Peachtree Street in the former Baroni space. The restaurant says they want to allow diners to have a customized dining experience. They do this by having a diverse menu of dishes in all sizes, including: small plates, flat breads, meats and cheeses, plus a few traditional entrees. They've also got a fun cocktail menu (popcorn-infused rum, anyone?) headed up by an Ormsby's alum.
Eater reports that beginning in February, Holeman and Finch will open for Saturday lunch.
Restaurants Linton Hopkins tells it like it is
Posted by Cliff Bostock on Fri, Jan 27, 2012 at 9:30 AM
Here is a recent interview with Linton Hopkins, owner/chef of Restaurant Eugene. He riffs on everything from healthy burgers and competitive cooking shows to government food policy.
The interview is from the ImbibeInspire channel on YouTube, which conducts particularly insightful interviews of chefs everywhere.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
News Fake food allergies on the rise
Posted by Stephanie Dazey on Thu, Jan 26, 2012 at 4:24 PM
Are you that guy? The one who, when dining out, claims to be allergic to an arbitrary ingredient just so it doesn't end up on your dinner plate? Well the jig's up; you weren't fooling anyone anyway. According to Hugh Sampson, director of the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, “research shows that as many as 20 percent of people claim to have food allergies when the number is actually around 3 to 4 percent."
It's important to note that Sampson's findings should not detract from those with true food allergies. Those with legit cases are confronted with this potentially life-threatening affliction on a daily basis and are forced to alter their lives accordingly. With no known cure, food allergies are serious conditions—especially in children. According to research cited by the Washington Post, nut allergies in children have increased steadily in U.S. households since 1997. This trend, however, does not account for the 15 to 16 percent of adults who claim to be allergic in 2012. What's the deal?
Experts say one main cause for the disparity in numbers is the tendency for adults to develop intolerances to certain foods over time. In other words, most people who claim to be allergic aren't really allergic, they're most likely just old.
So what's the difference between an allergy and an intolerance? It's been discussed at length in the past (just ask Google), but according to allergy studies, some people aren't getting the memo.
More after the jump
Events Weekend Food Events, Jan. 27-29: Cocktail class, Street Food 101, and a luau
Posted by Kelsey Clodfelter on Thu, Jan 26, 2012 at 3:04 PM
H&F Bottle Shop Sat., Jan. 28, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Cocktail Class: Shaken vs. Stirred. For an intro to home bartending, check out H&F's Saturday class. The two-hour event will cover the basics of artful cocktail creation. The price covers instruction, hands-on practice, three drinks, and snacks. Details
Cibo e Beve Sat., Jan. 28, 1-4 p.m. Chef Linda Harrell's Cooking Class. Cibo e Beve's Executive Chef Linda Harrell will host a cooking class at the restaurant in which she divulges her secret meatball recipe. She will provide step-by-step instructions to help attendees get their feet wet in the art of authentic Italian cooking. The price includes wine pairings. Details
TAP Sat., Jan. 28, 6 p.m. 5th Annual Winter Luau. This luau-themed party is a chance to briefly escape the dreariness of winter. Features include a $6 tiki cocktail special, a full-blown Polynesian pig roast, and, of course, a hula hoop spin-off. Details
Strongbox West Sat., Jan. 28, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sun., Jan. 29, 1-6 p.m. Street Food 101. If you're thinking of quitting your day job and hopping on the street food wagon (er, truck), you can learn the ins and outs of the industry at one of these workshops. Topics include regulations, legal ramifications, and social media. Meals will be provided—from food trucks, obviously. The deadline for registration is today. Details
News PAMA's Best Home Bar Star Contest
Posted by Kelsey Clodfelter on Thu, Jan 26, 2012 at 1:45 PM
Itching to whip up a tasty concoction using a pomegranate-flavored liqueur? No? Anyone? Bueller? Well if you're feeling nostalgic and want to rock it like we used to in '07, your efforts might be rewarded with a trip to this year's Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. The folks at PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur are proud to present The Best Home Bar Star Contest, in which participants are asked to create a recipe for an original cocktail— using PAMA as an ingredient, of course. The deadline is Feb. 29 and the prize trip is in June. Contest details can be found here.
So get on it, if you so choose. First person to make a pomegranate cocktail that doesn't suck, wins.
Food & Life Outwrite coffeehouse-bookstore closes permanently
Posted by Cliff Bostock on Thu, Jan 26, 2012 at 11:32 AM
- fortheloveofbookshops.wordpress.com
In earlier reports, owner Philip Rafshoon said he planned to relocate, but has now announced that the closing is permanent and that he will file for bankruptcy.
The bookstore's closing creates a great void in our city. Rafshoon has hosted readings of countless gay writers and provided a safe space, especially for young gay people, to meet one another without depending on bars.
An excerpt from Rafshoon's permanent-closing announcement:
All of us at Outwrite believe in the strength of our community and you will continue to see us working to strengthen and enrich it. While it is a challenging economy and the bookselling industry is rapidly evolving, there is still a need for neighborhoods with a strong LGBT presence and independent bookstores serving communities throughout the world.Thanks to all of you who made Outwrite the special place it has been over the past 18 years. Thank you to all who came in on a regular basis, showing your commitment to supporting independent, local businesses. And thank you to all of the authors, poets, artists, musicians, volunteers, and activists, who have entertained, educated and energized us: your contributions have highlighted the strength, beauty, vitality, and creativity of our lives and changed the face of Atlanta. Thank you for making our community a better place.
The bookstore/coffeehouse was truly an icon of the outing of gay life in Atlanta over the last two decades.
Restaurants Theater of the absurd: violence, singing breasts, and server-bashing
Posted by Cliff Bostock on Thu, Jan 26, 2012 at 9:48 AM
It's not the food. Fistfight at Applebee's.
"Horror stories" of restaurant employees. (Long rant.)
Do you enjoy servers' coming to your table and singing "Happy Birthday"?
Nick Love is checking out the "urban dining scene" on "ATL Bite Life."
Not so Underground.
WTF? A video promoting a restaurant whose food is never shown.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Food media Of Boners, bitching, and Foodie Buddha
Posted by Cliff Bostock on Wed, Jan 25, 2012 at 1:59 PM
Until now, I ignored the recent brouhaha between Boners BBQ and a complaining Yelper. For full details on the plot that went internationally viral as quickly as Newt’s sex life, go Google.
Why did I ignore it? Because it’s stupid beyond belief. In the cyberworld there is no enforceable etiquette. As long as there has been popular online access, we have all now and then flamed our keyboards without taking a breath. Further, cyberspace confers (superficial) anonymity that can fan the flames if not enable the fire’s start.
But wait. There’s more. In this same world, getting attention means everything. Thus, it’s not generally even considered a liability to piss people off in any way. The more you do that, the more “hits” you receive and the more ego-satisfying or literally marketable your commentary becomes. Why do you think this story became a media fixation? All it needed was the inclusion of a beautiful blonde who disappeared in Nassau with a pulled-pork sandwich.
So Boners owner Andrew Capron’s attack on the unflattering Yelper was tacky. But he later apologized and sincerely. It also will undoubtedly bring him a flood of curious visitors. It’s lotsa hits, baby.
Had he taken the usual route, he would have created an anonymous identity (or two or three or more) and gone to Yelp to trash the complaining customer. “Formal” critics watch this happen in comments on their reviews constantly. It’s not just people associated with the particular restaurant but all kinds of commenters with personal agendas too.
AJC dining critic John Kessler, an especially nice guy, wrote a thoughtful piece about this “lashing out” in the online foodie community a few days ago, recounting the Boners drama and then taking on local blogger Foodie Buddha. The issue was the Buddha’s strongly critical review of Cardamom Hill based on one visit the day after its opening. It was also highly critical of the hysteria of the owner's fans that preceded the opening. (Kind of ironically, the lengthy review was entitled "Cardamom Hill: Let’s Not Get Ahead of Ourselves." Arguably, that's just what he did.)
I visited the restaurant twice during the same week and tasted a lot of its menu and wrote a “first look” that was very complimentary. I’ve received plenty of criticism myself for saying anything at all negative about a brand-new restaurant — and just as much for being positive.
Kessler says in his blog post that no judgment is definitive during a restaurant’s first few weeks. He puts it well by saying that first looks should be mainly expository. I tend to agree with this, but I like to think that readers understand that a “first look” is exactly that, since the lead critic — Besha Rodell these days — writes a definitive review later.
- www.foodiebudha.com
I should note too that my emphasis for years was on dining as adventure . That changed a lot over time with the truncation of my “Grazing” column. Now, its cutback to monthly means I’m not paid to visit more than a few restaurants and my approach is thematic.
I like Foodie Buddha’s blog. I think he’s a good, often funny writer, especially when he takes an essay approach. He has been controversial from the day he started blogging. But he also frequently scoops everyone else. The majority of these scoops have not been severely critical. His blog also displayed design skill way beyond the average. Frankly, too, foodie politics may be involved in the outrage he’s created.
Perhaps readers will find this hard to believe, but the community of critics (including “name” bloggers) in Atlanta — and everywhere else — is something of a round table where outsiders and Yelper types are, shall we say, "discussed." As a lifelong, extreme introvert for whom dining is of secondary interest, I have avoided this scene, just as I’ve avoided most other social milieus. Thus that competitive scene has not been much of an issue to me.
One other comment in this context: Critics have — right or wrong— traditionally written for one another. This is true in every field of criticism. During the years I edited publications, including Creative Loafing, this was often a subject of debate. You want depth but you know that limited space and the emphasis on provocative copy makes that more and more impractical. It also makes the critic's role less satisfying, especially when the glib are eclipsing your own role.
One of our regular contributors to this blog, Food Geek, reminded me a few months back that the authority of paid critics is history. I’ve honestly never thought otherwise. That’s why, as I’ve often explained, I always included other characters, like my partner Wayne, in “Grazing” and used narrative rather than pure critical evaluation and intense description. It was important to me to provide a differing opinion. Taste is extremely subjective, of course — and, believe me, the quality of experience at a restaurant can change in a flash with a chef’s departure.
I’m glad the community is discussing this subject, but the context has to be realistic. The rapid fading of critical authority will not reverse itself. Nor will the compensatory tendency to substitute the shocking and outrageous. But there is always the genuine satisfaction of mindful reticence: Can we eat, drink and be wary of what we say? I'm gonna try harder.
(NOTE: Edited to include material apparently not saved in the original posting.)
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Food media Zagat's Best Meal Ever Contest: food blurbs for money
Posted by Kelsey Clodfelter on Tue, Jan 24, 2012 at 5:47 PM
Zagat is currently holding The Best Meal Ever Contest, in which participants are asked to describe the most delectable meal they have ever eaten in a restaurant. Although the word "essay" is tossed around on the contest's website, "blurb" seems more appropriate—all submissions are limited to a measly 75 words.
The top five contestants will receive MasterCard gift cards. So, $250 dollars in exchange for a handful of descriptive sentences? Sounds good.
The contest is open until Jan. 28. Official guidelines can be found here.
Events Atlanta Valentine's Day restaurant events
Posted by Kelsey Clodfelter on Tue, Jan 24, 2012 at 5:06 PM
- Courtesy of FreeFoto.com
4th & Swift Executive Chef Jay Swift will put together a five-course menu for $75 or more per person, with wine pairings for an additional $35. 621 North Ave. 678-904-0160. www.4thandswift.com.
Aria A four-course meal will be available for $90 per guest. 490 E. Paces Ferry Road. 404-233-7673. www.aria-atl.com.
Atkins Park A three-course prix-fixe dinner with wine pairings is $45 per person on Valentine’s Day. 2840 Atlanta Road, Smyrna. 770-435-1887. www.atkinspark.com.
Cibo e Beve Executive Chef Linda Harrell has put together an a la carte menu of Italian dishes for Valentine's Day. The restaurant's regular dinner menu will also be available. 4969 Roswell Road, Suite 245, Sandy Springs. 404-250-8988. www.ciboatlanta.com.
Double Zero Napoletana The restaurant is offering a gift special for the holiday. Guests who choose the $59 prix-fixe menu will receive a champagne split, champagne glasses and a gift card for any Castellucci Hospitality Group restaurant. The regular menu will also be available. 5825 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. 404-991-3666. www.doublezeroatl.com.
Edgewood Corner Tavern The restaurant will host a Beer Lover's Valentine's Day. A three-course menu with beer pairings is $60 per guest. 464 Edgewood Ave. 404-577-2310. www.thecornertavern.com.
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar Fleming's will be offering three special entrees on Valentine's Day, each for $69.95, in addition to the a la carte menu. Guests will also receive a $25 gift card for the restaurant valid until the end of March. 4501 Olde Perimeter Way, Dunwoody. 770-698-8112. www.flemingssteakhouse.com.
JCT Kitchen and Bar Chef Ford Fry is offering a $55 four-course menu for Valentine's day. 1198 Howell Mill Road. 404-355-2252. www.jctkitchen.com.
